Passable Literature Trivia Quiz In which book would you find a Heffalump? Which detective had a landlady called Mrs. Hudson? Who wrote the Booker Prize winning novel The Life of Pi? Which of Alexandre Dumas' 'Three Musketeers' real identity is Comte de la Fère? In which language did Vladimir Nabokov write Lolita? Which 1949 novel begins 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen?' How many lines are there in a sonnet? Don Diego de la Vega is the secret identity of which hero? In which novel does an alien invasion commence in Woking, England? In the title of a Shakespeare play, who are Valentine and Proteus? In which George Bernard Shaw play are Professor Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle central characters? Which fictional Count's real name is Edmond Dantès? What was the name of Captain Nemo's submarine in Jules Verne's novel? Which poet wrote the Canterbury Tales? Who was Ebenezer Scrooge's deceased partner in 'A Christmas Carol?' Question Who created the fictional town of Middlemarch?

In which novel would you find the exceedingly strong drink called the 'Pan-galactic Gargle Blaster?' In which Jane Austen novel do the Bennet family appear? Who is the title hobbit in 'The Hobbit?' Which author used the pseudonyms Isaac Bickerstaffe and Lemuel Gulliver among others? What is the name of the sequel to John Milton's 'Paradise Lost?' In which novel does the character Major Major Major Major appear? Who went on a circumnavigation of the world from the Reform Club as the result of a bet? Which Ray Bradbury novel opens 'It was a pleasure to burn?' Which novel was subtitled 'The Modern Prometheus?' Who wrote the short story 'I, Robot' in 1950? In the Harry Potter novels, as whom did Tom Riddle become infamous? Which novel takes place in the Year of Our Ford 632? Who taught children to fly using 'lovely thoughts' and fairy dust? Which John Steinbeck novel centers on the characters George and Lennie? Who wrote the Twilight series of novels? How are the sisters Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy collectively known?

Which mythological figure 'Shrugged' in the title of an Ayn Rand novel? How many syllables are there in a haiku? 'Workers of the world, unite!' is the last line of which work? What real-life Soviet organisation is James Bond's nemesis in the early novels? In which fictional country is the castle of Zenda to be found? Who is the chief protagonist in John Buchan's The 39 Steps? How is David John Cornwell better known? What is the name of Long John Silver’s parrot? At what age do Adrian Mole's diaries start? Who lived the last few years of his life in Paris under the pseudonym 'Sebastian Melmoth'? Who created Noddy? Vega: Baby Name of the Day - Appellation Mountain Appellation Mountain Vega: Baby Name of the Day July 22, 2015 It’s a nature name starting with that stylish letter V. Our Baby Name of the Day is Vega. Vega: To the Sky If you know Vega, maybe you’ve been stargazing. Vega is a star in the constellation Lyra. In Arabic, it’s al-Waqi.

There are a handful of translations out there, but the most frequently repeated is “swooping eagle.” It’s not just any star, either – it’s the brightest star in Lyra, and the fifth brightest star in the night sky. Vega: Spain This is still a nature name in Spanish, but it’s found on terra firma. In Spanish, la vega means the meadow. Las Vegas is known for gambling and general excess nowadays. Back in 1829, a group of traders encountered the Las Vegas Valley on their way west to California. A combination of wild grasses and desert springs made the place a much-welcome oasis, and the pretty, poetic name was chosen accordingly. Before you write this one off because of its ties to Sin City, consider a very different association with the name. In Spanish, Mary is called Nuestra Señora de la Vega – Our Lady of the Meadow. A basilica dedicated to Our Lady of the Meadow stands in Rioja, Spain. So not only is Vega tied to Nevada’s most scandalous city, it’s a Marian name, too. How’s that for a split personality? It’s popular in Spain, too.

Singer-songwriter Mercedes Carpio, known professionally as Vega, first hit it big in the early 2000s and might be part of the reason for the name’s rise. Vega: Vincent This generation of parents might have another thought when they hear Vega: Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. The Vega brothers appear in the movies: Vic in Reservoir Dogs and Vincent in Pulp Fiction. Other pop culture references for the name include: A character from the video game series “Street Fighter.” He’s a bad guy in a matador get-up. Don Diego de la Vega, the fictional character better known as Zorro. Created by Johnston McCulley back in 1919, Zorro remains well-known, with actors from Douglas Fairbanks to Antonio Banderas playing the role. Singer Suzanne Vega. Actress Paz Vega. Nickelodeon’s Victoria Justice starred in the sitcom Victorious as aspiring singer Tori Vega. It’s been use as the name of an airplane and at least one automobile, too. Science fiction writers have borrowed Vega. Carl Sagan used it in Contact, and Isaac Asimov made it the name of wealthy province in the Galactic Empire.

Vega: Zhin In China, the star is associated with a legend about Zhin, the weaver girl. Zhin fell for a cowherd, represented by Altair – another star in the night sky. The pair had a Romeo and Juliet-like romance, separated by a river. Once a year, the stars come close in the night sky, and the Japanese celebrate the traditional Tanabata festival. There are more stories – and dozens of variations on the tale. But it lends the name a romantic aspect. Vega: Wearable There have been a handful of girls given the name, in India and Scandinavia and the US, too. In Sweden, it was most popular in the early twentieth century, apparently inspired by the star’s name. This tracks with early use in the US, too. Danny Wood of New Kids on the Block has a daughter called Vega. In 2014, there were 22 girls and 10 boys named Vega in the US – rare, but not unknown. Overall, it’s a modern, edgy name with ties to global cultures and the natural world – a great choice for parents intent on something different and distinctive. What do you think of Vega?

Too spacey, or 21st century perfection? Zoirr, meaning words Zoirr, what is Zoirr, word mean something Zoirr - Wikiwordbook.info Zoirr The meaning of «zoirr» Zorro (Spanish for "fox") is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega, a fictional character created in 1919 by pulp writer Johnston McCulley. Zorra is a township in Oxford County, situated in south-western Ontario, Canada. A predominantly rural municipality, Zorra was formed in 1975 through the amalgamation of East Nissouri, West Zorra and North Oxford townships. Zorrati (Persian: ذرتي‎‎) may refer to: Zorro is an American action-adventure western drama series produced by Walt Disney Productions. Based on the well-known Zorro character created by Johnston McCulley, the series premiered on October 10, 1957 on ABC. Zorro, also known as The New Zorro, New World Zorro, and Zorro 1990, is an American action-adventure drama series featuring Duncan Regehr as the character of Zorro.

Zorro: Generation Z is an animated series that began in 2006. Former Marvel Studios development executive, Rick Ungar, developed the original series in association with BKN, G7 Animation and Pangea Corporation. Zorro is a musical with music by the Gipsy Kings and John Cameron, a book by Stephen Clark and Helen Edmundson, and lyrics by Stephen Clark. Zorro and the Three Musketeers (Italian: Zorro e i tre moschettieri, also known as Mask of the Musketeers and Zorro vs. Zorro is a 2005 novel by Chilean author Isabel Allende. Its subject is the pulp hero Diego de la Vega, better known as El Zorro (The Fox), who was featured in an early 20th-century novel. Zorro's Fighting Legion is a 1939 Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters starring Reed Hadley as Zorro and directed by William Witney and John English. Choice of words Joaquin Murrieta (Character) - Biography biography The content of this page was created by users. It has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff. Warning! This character biography may contain plot spoilers.

Visit our Character Biography Help to learn more. Character Biography History Discuss Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo (sometimes spelled Murieta or Murietta) (c. 1829 c. July 25, 1853), also called the Mexican Robin Hood or the Robin Hood of El Dorado, was a famous figure in California during the California Gold Rush of the 1850s. Depending on the point of view, he was considered as either an infamous bandit or a Mexican patriot. In 1919 Johnston McCulley supposedly received his inspiration for his fictional character Don Diego de la Vega better known as Zorro from the 1854 book entitled The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murrieta, The Celebrated California Bandit by John Rollin Ridge. John heard about a Mexican miner who had turned to banditry and was intrigued by the story.

Page last updated by hectorthebat , 1 year ago El Zorro And El Coyote: Two Hispanic Fictional Champions Of The Underdog | The Huffington Post El Zorro And El Coyote: Two Hispanic Fictional Champions Of The Underdog 04/02/2013 10:02 am ET Delfin Carbonell Basset VOXXI Fiction has provided stereotype characters that have personified human traits: frailties, weaknesses, courage, friendship, unfaithfulness, treachery… but those portraying the protection of the weak, the defenseless, and the downtrodden, have caught the fancy and imagination of millions throughout the centuries. Robin Hood comes to mind, who robbed from the rich in order to give to the poor. He became a popular folk figure, an outlaw for sure, but champion of the oppressed in Anglo-Saxon lore. The Scarlet Pimpernel, 1905, written by Baroness Emmuska Orzcy, with the French Revolution backdrop, represents the first hero with a secret identity, champion of those in despair and in danger of losing their heads to the guillotine. Several films have been made from this fictional character.

We can mention Scaramouche and Rocambole, for example, also heroes in important action novels and flicks. Enter: Zorro and El Coyote In the 20th century, two Hispanic fictional characters enthralled the imagination of millions of readers and viewers. They were the hub around whom novels, short stories, films and TV series were made to satisfy the hunger of audiences for their adventures, their good deeds and daring exploits against despots and exploiters; romantic heroes women yearned after because they were free, mysterious, dashing, fearless, righteous and appeared and disappeared at will. Better still, they did not work in dull offices from 9 to 5. Zorro was the creation of Johnston McCulley, in 1919, in his novel The Curse of Capistrano, where Don Diego de la Vega becomes Zorro in the pueblo of Los Angeles in order to help the downtrodden and helpless and to right wrongs inflicted on the poor. His identity is not known because Don Diego wears a black mask. He leaves behind him the mark of his identity, a Z which he carves on people with three swift strokes of his rapier.

The setting is in California, before the independence of Mexico from Spain. Most of the villains are Mexican and Spanish, full of greed and corruption. Don Diego woos señorita Lolita Pulido who cares not for him, but is secretly in love with the dashing Zorro, who happens to be Don Diego. Well, you know how it goes. Several sequels made the character popular which prompted the making of several films. The Mark of Zorro, with Douglas Fairbanks, was released in 1920 to great success, which encouraged McCulley to write many more Zorro novels. Many movies have been made since the first, the latest being The Legend of Zorro, 2005, with Antonio Banderas. Zorro helped make Spanish things popular in the United States, especially with women who saw, and still see Zorro, with his mask, moustache, sombrero cordobés and cloak, a dashing and romantic figure. José Mallorquí Figuerola (1913-1972) was a pulp and feuilleton writer from Barcelona, Spain, who made a living translating novels from the French and English languages.

He was very prolific and penned western-like cheap novels until he hit on El Coyote, a copy of Zorro, and went on to write over 190 novels based on this fictional character. Novels, films and comic books were read by millions of readers. El Coyote is in reality Don César de Echagüe, a rich California hacendado who returns to his Hispanic land in 1851, to find it invaded and conquered by ruthless Yankees set on getting hold of the gold mines owned by the Hispanic inhabitants of the newly incorporated territory. Don César leads a double life: as a cowardly hidalgo and as an intrepid and fearless champion of the rights of the Hispanos, in the guise of El Coyote, with mask and cloak, and Leonor de Acevedo for a girlfriend. The tyranny of General Clarke in California and the reign of terror and plunder to which he subjects the native California population is checked by the hero of our novels, El Coyote.

A bit of anti-Americanism seeps into these novels where the Hispano is the downtrodden, the vanquished, and the evil American, the villain, who is set on taking all from the native inhabitants of California. The way El Coyote is able to redress the ills inflicted by the American invaders attracted readers, no doubt. The plot is clear-cut: the Hispanic of California, the good; the American invader, the bad. Fictional heroes tend to embody the likes and dislikes of the public. The secret for writers is to discover what readers secretly yearn for. 10 Movie Characters That Turned Out To Be Real People (real life characters, real life movies) - ODDEE 10 Movie Characters That Turned Out To Be Real People 7/26/2010 1 Lucy (50 First Dates) - Michelle Philpots Every day, Michelle Philpots wakes up next to a man who has to convince her they are married. When she expresses doubt, he takes out a photo album and shows her pictures of their wedding 13 years ago.

Only then does amnesiac Mrs Philpots accept she is talking to her husband, Ian, and that everything he has told her is true. The 47-year-old's condition was caused by brain injuries sustained in two road accidents. She can recall everything up to 1994 but since then everything that happens on one day is forgotten the next. Her case echoes 50 First Dates, the 2004 movie in which Adam Sandler tries to woo Drew Barrymore, who has no day-to-day memory following a car crash. ( Source ) 2 Zorro (The Mask of Zorro) - Joaquin Murrieta Zorro is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega, a nobleman and master living in the Spanish colonial era of California. He is a black-clad masked outlaw who defends the people of the land against tyrannical officials and other villains. Joaquin Murrieta, also called the Robin Hood of El Dorado, was a semi-legendary figure in California during the California Gold Rush of the 1850s. He was either an infamous bandit or a Mexican patriot, depending on one's point of view.

Murrieta was partly the inspiration for the fictional character of Zorro. His name has, for some political activists, symbolized resistance against Anglo-American economic and cultural domination in California. In fact, a character with his name appears in The Mask of Zorro. In the film, after Joaquin's death, his (fictional) brother, Alejandro (Antonio Banderas), becomes the new Zorro and later kills Captain Love in revenge. ( Source ) 3 Viktor Navorski (The Terminal) - Mehran Nasseri “The Terminal” is a moving tale, where Tom Hanks plays the victim of the modern world. That a man could spend months stuck in diplomatic limbo living in an airport may seem far-fetched, but in fact, the movie is inspired by a real-life character who lived at terminal one of Paris Charles De Gaulle airport. The living urban legend is Mehran Nasseri, known as “Sir Alfred” to those who work at the airport. Stranded without papers, Nasseri was a stateless refugee from Iran, unwanted by any nation.

Having claimed to have one British parent, he decided to settle in the UK in 1986, but en route to there in 1988, his briefcase containing his papers was stolen in Paris. Despite this setback, he boarded the plane for London but was promptly returned to France when he failed to present a passport to British immigration. He was initially arrested by the French, but then released as his entry to the airport was legal and he had no country of origin to be returned to. A red plastic bench beside a luggage store was his home for no less than 18 years. Director Steven Spielberg may have moved the airport to New York for his movie and made Hank's character East European, but there's no doubt who the movie is based on. Nasseri's life at the airport ended in July 2006 when he was hospitalized and his sitting place dismantled. ( Source 1 | Source 2 ) 4 Hanna Schmitz (The Reader) - Ilse Koch Kate Winslet's character in The Reader was based on one of the Third Reich's most notorious war criminals.

The life of Ilse Koch, a concentration camp guard nicknamed "The Bitch of Buchenwald," was strikingly similar to that of Hanna Schmitz, the role played by Winslet in the Oscar-tipped film. Like Schmitz, Koch came from a poor background. She married Karl Koch, a close friend of Adolf Hitler, in 1936, and accompanied him when he was made commandant of Buchenwald camp the following year. As a supervisor of the camp's female guards, she whipped and beat prisoners. Witnesses said she forced prisoners to rape one another and was eventually disciplined by Nazi chiefs for her brutality. As Schmitz does in the film, Koch killed herself after being sentenced to life in prison for her crimes perpetrated in a concentration camp. Before her suicide, Koch had been reunited with her illegitimate son, who had only recently discovered his mother's identity and crimes. He wrote poems and sent them to her in prison. In the film, Schmitz is effectively reunited with Michael Berg, a former lover who is shocked to see her in the dock when he attends a war crimes trial. After she is sentenced, he sends her taped books to listen to in prison.

Also, Ilse was accused of having affairs with prisoners, while Hanna was suspected by her camp inmates of selecting female prisoners to have sex with. ( Source ) 5 Raymond Babbitt (Rain Man) - Kim Peek Kim Peek is the man who inspired Dustin Hoffman's character in the movie Rain Man. His life was thrust into the spotlight after meeting screenwriter Barry Morrow, who used Peek as the inspiration for Dustin Hoffman's Oscar-winning character, Raymond Babbitt. Although inspired by Peek, he was portrayed as having autism. After the 1988 film became a hit, Peek spent the next 21 years demonstrating his mental abilities to more than 64 million people around the world. Peek, who was able to retain nearly 98% of what read, heard, and watched (the average person holds on to about 45%), could read and memorize books as a 16-month-old and had committed as many as 9,000 books to memory.

( Source 1 | Source 2 ) 6 Norman Bates (Psycho) - Ed Gein Norman Bates is a psychologically disturbed hotel owner who has delusions that his dead mother, whose body he keeps in the cellar, wants to kill hotel guests. He develops a dual personality and dresses like her when he commits his murders. The film's screenplay by Joseph Stefano was adapted from a novel of the same name by author Robert Bloch. Remarkably, Bloch's 1959 novel was based on legendary real-life, Plainfield, Wisconsin psychotic serial killer Edward Gein, who was arrested in 1957 for committing two murders and digging up the corpses of countless other women who reminded him of his dead mother. He skinned the bodies to make lamp shades, socks and a "woman suit" in hopes of becoming a woman. He was found to be insane and spent the rest of his life in a mental institution. ( Source 1 | Source 2 ) 7 Laurel Hedare (Catwoman) - Heather Bird There is a theory that says the character of the movie's villain (Laurel Hedare, played by Sharon Stone) was based on real-life anti-aging advocate/entrepreneur Heather Bird .

At the time that the "Catwoman" movie was being developed by French director Pitof, Heather Bird was making headlines in Europe by introducing a revolutionary new anti-ageing cream. The fictional Laurel Hedare's revolutionary new anti-ageing cream is the central plot element of the "Catwoman" movie. Note that prior to filming, the screenplay referred to the cosmetics company central to the film's story as "Avenal Beauty." "Avenal" could be a play on the word "Aves," the scientific and Latin word for "birds," a subtle reference to Heather Bird's name. When the film was actually made, the name of the company was changed to "Hedare Beauty." The real-life Heather Bird is not an evil villainess. But she does have many traits in common with Sharon Stone's character, aside from their promotion of cutting edge anti-ageing technologies. Both are beautiful blonde women. Both are from Salt Lake City. Heather Bird was born and raised in Salt Lake City. Laurel Hedare lived in and had the company headquarters in Salt Lake at least at some point in the planning stages of the "Catwoman" movie.

( Source ) 8 Rocky Balboa (Rocky) - Chuck Wepner Chuck Wepner, a battling, bruising club fighter who had never made it big time, but in 1975 he had his shot in a fight with world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. It wasn't at all regarded as a serious battle. But as the fight progressed, this miracle unfolded. In the ninth round, Wepner landed a punch to Ali's chest and Ali was knocked down. Wepner went to his corner and said to his manager, "Hey, I knocked him down." "Yeah," Wepner's manager replied, "but he looks really pissed off now...". People went absolutely crazy. Wepner was finally knocked out in the 15th and final round, almost lasting the distance. Young actor Sylvester Stallone watched the fight at home on television and was inspired to write the script for Rocky, based on Wepner's gutsy challenge. ( Source ) 9 Emily Rose (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) - Anneliese Michel In the movie, a priest is on trial for the death of a young woman named Emily Rose, upon whom he had performed an exorcism.

The film was inspired by Anneliese Michel, a 16-year-old German girl who, in 1968, began displaying symptoms of demonic possession. For years, she suffered paralysis, self-abuse, starvation and demonic visions until 1975, when two priests performed exorcisms of what was believed to be several demons over 10 months. During that time, Anneliese barely ate, and she died of starvation in July 1976. Her parents and the priests were tried and found guilty of manslaughter. They were sentenced to six months in jail. ( Source ) 10 Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofski or Krusty the Clown (The Simpsons)– Jim Allen from Rusty Nails Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofski, better known by his stage name, "Krusty the Clown," is the cynical, burnt out, addiction-riddled smoking clown host of Bart and Lisa's favorite TV show, The Krusty the Clown Show.

The character of Krusty was partially inspired by real-life clown "Rusty Nails" whom Simpsons creator Matt Groening watched as a child while growing up in Portland, Oregon. Jim Allen (b. 1928 or 1929) portrayed the clown character Rusty Nails. His program on KPTV was the second-longest running children's program in Portland, second only to Ramblin' Rod Anders. Basically most of the characters from The Simpsons were inspired in Groening's family and acquaintances. ( Source 1 | Source 2 ) From the Web Five Real People You Thought Were Fictional - 1723 Articles - A Barrel Full of Trivia A Barrel Full of Trivia Weird Five Real People You Thought Were Fictional How many times have you watched a movie and thought, “Wow! Imagine if there really was someone like that!” Well, as the saying (sort of) goes, “Art sometimes DOES imitate life.” Each of these fictional characters once really did live. The famous movies are based on their real lives. They may not be exact, but they had that special heroic value in their lives that made them worried of being turned into a story.

Here are five fictional people who once really did live! The Man In The Iron Mask This character has been made famous in Alexandre Dumas’ final installment of his Three Musketeers saga. In this story, the man in the iron mask was King Louis XIV’s twin brother who was helped by the Three Musketeers. Most recently, it was made into the 1998 movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, and Gabriel Byrne. The real Man in the Iron Mask was the name given to a prisoner arrested as Eustache Dauger in 1669, held in a number of jails, including the Bastille and the Fortress of Pignerol, and died in 1703. The possible identity of this man has been thoroughly discussed and been the subject of many books, mainly because no one ever saw his face, that was hidden by a mask of – not iron, but black velvet cloth. The French writer and philosopher, Voltaire, was the first person to write about this man. Dirty Harry In the movie, Dirty Harry (1971), Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” Callahan was an inspector for the San Francisco Police Department.

He spent his days killing hippies and restoring masculinity to the city. He was also on the trail of Scorpio, a serial killer who loved to taunt the police. The real Dirty Harry was inspired by Dave Toschi, an inspector in the San Francisco Police Department. The flamboyant San Francisco cop would also serve as the inspiration for 1968’s Bullitt, played by Steve McQueen. Toschi was the cop who hunted down the real life Zodiac killer. So were filmmakers suggesting that Toschi secretly killed the Zodiac killer in his off-hours? Not exactly. Dirty Harry writer John Milius said that whole aspect of Dirty Harry was inspired by another cop – a friend of his in Long Beach who remained unnamed, probably to avoid the wrath of Internal Affairs. Zorro Zorro is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega , a nobleman living in the Spanish colonial era of California. He is a black-clad masked outlaw who defends the people of the land against tyrannical officials and other villains. The real Zorro was Joaquin Murrieta, also called the “Robin Hood of El Dorado”.

He was a semi-legendary figure in California during the California Gold Rush of the 1850s. Murrieta was either an infamous bandit or a Mexican patriot, depending on your point of view. Murrieta was partly the inspiration for the fictional character of Zorro. His name has, for some political activists, symbolized resistance against Anglo-American economic and cultural domination in California. In fact, a character with his name appears in The Mask of Zorro (1998). In the film, after Joaquin’s death, his (fictional) brother, Alejandro (Antonio Banderas), becomes the new Zorro to carry on the legend. Crusty The Clown In the cartoon The Simpsons, Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofski, better known by his stage name, “Krusty the Clown”, is the cynical, burnt out, addiction-riddled, smoking clown host of Bart and Lisa’s favorite TV show, The Krusty the Clown Show.

The character of Krusty was partially inspired by real-life clown “Rusty Nails” (in real life, Jim Allen) whom Simpsons creator, Matt Groening, watched as a child while growing up in Portland, Oregon. His program on KPTV was the second-longest running children’s program in Portland. Basically most of the characters from The Simpsons were inspired in Groening’s family and acquaintances. Rocky Balboa Even Sly Stallone used real people as an inspiration? Yes, he did. In this case, Rocky is based on Chuck Wepner, a battling, bruising club fighter who had never made it big time. In 1975, he had his shot in a fight with world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (who was much more flamboyant than Apollo Creed). The real-life fight wasn’t really regarded as a serious battle. But as the fight progressed, this miracle unfolded: In the ninth round, Wepner landed a punch to Ali’s chest and Ali was knocked down. Wepner went to his corner and said to his manager, “Hey, I knocked him down.” “Yeah,” Wepner’s manager replied, “but he looks really pissed off now…“. People went absolutely crazy.

Wepner was finally knocked out in the 15th and final round, almost lasting the distance. Young actor Sylvester Stallone watched the fight at home on television and was inspired to write the script for Rocky, based on Wepner’s gutsy challenge. Be the first to comment - What do you think? Posted by Jimm - September 3, 2010 at 9:20 am 50 Movie Characters You Won't Believe Are Real People | GamesRadar+ 50 Movie Characters You Won't Believe Are Real People Only the names have been changed Shares Johnny Fontane The Character: 1940s singer, played by Al Martino in The Godfather , whose Hollywood career gets off to a flying start when the Corleone family leaves a horse's head in a movie producer's bed. The Inspiration: Frank Sinatra, whose career took a nosedive in the early 1950s before his Oscar-winning performance in From Here Til Eternity reignited his popularity. Rumour has it Sinatra's friends in the Mafia had a quiet word to win him the role. Artistic Licence: No equine decapitation was necessary in real life.

Prev Next Adam Lerner The Character: Twentysomething played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50 , who discovers he has spinal cancer and has to adjust to life-threatening reality. The Inspiration: Adam's experience actually happened to the film's screenwriter, Will Reiser. Artistic Licence: Pretty close - Reiser's friends include Seth Rogen, who plays the role of Adam's confidante in the film. Prev Next Sally Bowles The Character: As played by Liza Minnelli in Cabaret , Sally is an American dancer at Berlin's Kit Kat Klub who becomes embroiled in Germany's growing Nazi threat. The Inspiration: Bowles was created by Christopher Isherwood in homage to Jean Ross, an acquaintance of the author when he lived in Berlin during the early 1930s. Artistic Licence: While the character is reportedly close to the real thing, there's been a change of nationality in translation, as Ross (and Bowles, as written by Isherwod) was British.

Prev Next Dorian Gray The Character: Debonair, debauched Victorian gent - played by, amongst others, Hurd Hatfield and Ben Barnes - whose eternal good looks are explained when people catch sight of his possessed portrait. The Inspiration: Dorian was the most back-handed of compliments from Oscar Wilde to his lover, the poet John Gray. He didn't even bother changing the surname! Artistic Licence: Whatever dark side Wilde saw in the real-life Gray took on tangible, supernatural form in the shape of that painting. Prev Next Laurel Hedare The Character: Sharon Stone's villainess in Catwoman , a cosmetics tycoon involved in the creation of a lethal anti-ageing cream. The Inspiration: Is it a coincidence that, at the time Catwoman was entering production, a glamorous, blonde businesswoman called Heather Bird was launching an innovative anti-ageing cream? Artistic Licence: To the best of our knowledge, at no point has Bird been plagued by the feline-powered vengeance of an employee she tried to kill. Prev Next Zorro The Character: Masked outlaw - played by everyone from Douglas Fairbanks to Anthony Hopkins - whose telltale 'Z' is a warning to oppressors they can't escape justice for long.

The Inspiration: Joaquin Murrieta, a Mexican bandit who got rich after attacking well-stocked wagon trains during the Californian Gold Rush. Artistic Licence: The fictional Zorro is the non-de-plume of nobleman Don Diego de la Vega, whose quest is sparked by his social conscience. Prev Next Abel Turner The Character: Samuel L. Jackson's embittered cop in Lakeview Terrace , who takes out his frustrations on the couple next door (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington). The Inspiration: Irsie Henry was a real-life African-American LAPD officer who, like Turner, waged a racially-motivated war on his mixed-race neighbours. Artistic Licence: Movie logic requires escalation to the point where Turner is shot dead. Henry was merely kicked out of the force. Prev Next Ben Campbell The Character: Maths whizz played by Jim Sturgess in 21 , whose card-counting abilities make him a key player in an MIT blackjack team who make a killing at the casinos. The Inspiration: Jeff Ma, a member of the MIT team during the 1990s whose adventures were adapted into the book Bringing Down The House . Artistic Licence: Ma is Asian-American; Sturgess is white Irish.

The change did not go unnoticed, with many accusing the film of racism by omission. Prev Next Brandon Shaw and Phillip Morgan The Characters: Intellectually-minded killers in Hitchcock's Rope (played by John Dall and Farley Granger) who dare to hold a party in the same room as their victim's corpse. The Inspiration: 1920s murder duo Leopold and Loeb who - like their fictional counterparts - attempted to carry out the perfect crime to prove their superiority. Alas, they got caught; not so perfect, then. Artistic Licence: Not only Hitchcock was attracted to Leopold and Loeb's story. Other films to borrow its basic outline include Compulsion (1959) and Murder By Numbers (2002). None is a direct biopic. Prev Next Lucy Whitmore The Character: Sufferer of anterograde amnesia, played by Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates , who cannot remember anything in her life after a certain point, and for whom each day is a clean slate.

The Inspiration: Michelle Philpots, a Lincolnshire woman who has suffered short-term memory loss since two car accidents; she cannot recall anything since 1994, including the fact that she is married. Artistic Licence: The film ends with the revelation that Lucy has had a daughter with Henry Roth (Adam Sandler), something that seems unlikely in real-life. Prev Next Krusty The Klown The Character: Springfield's finest children's entertainer, if by 'finest' we mean a chain-smoking cynic more interested in making a quick buck than being a good role model. The Inspiration: Like so many Simpsons Movie characters, Krusty's roots lie in Matt Groening's Oregon childhood - specifically, TV clown Rusty Nails, whose show played in the Portland area. Artistic Licence: By all accounts, Rusty Nails (real name: James Allen) was a nice guy. Krusty's cantankerous personality is very much a Simpsons invention. Prev Next Boris Lermontov The Character: Ballet impresario played by Anton Walbrook in The Red Shoes , whose obsessive desire to get the best out of star dancer Vicky Page (Moira Shearer) drives the latter to her death.

The Inspiration: The relationship between the two echoes the efforts of Sergei Diaghilev, founder of the Ballets Russes, and British dancer Diana Gould. Artistic Licence: Diaghilev actually died before Gould could take up his offer to join the Ballet Russes, so pretty much all of the film is fictional. Prev Next Kit Carruthers The Character: James Dean lookalike drifter played by Martin Sheen in Badlands , who charms Holly (Sissy Spacek) by killing her abusive dad and then leading her on a cross-country crime spree. The Inspiration: Teenage killer Charles Starkweather 'did a Badlands' in the 1950s with accomplice Caril Ann Fugate. Artistic Licence: Terrence Malick downplayed the gruesomeness of Starkweather's spree, which included strangling and stabbing Fugate's two-year-old step-sister. Prev Next Steve Zissou The Character: Bill Murray plays Wes Anderson's oceanographer and documentarian, creator of the Life Aquatic series of films. The Inspiration: Fairly obviously, Zissou is modelled on Jacques Cousteau, whose fashion combo of blue dungarees and red hat were lifted wholesale by Anderson.

Artistic Licence: Cousteau never went on a hunt to blow up a jaguar shark with dynamite. Prev Next Dolores Haze The Character: Precocious girl - better known as Lolita - who becomes the object of paedophile Humbert Humbert's perverted affection. She has been played on-screen by Sue Lyon and Dominique Swain. The Inspiration: Some scholars have suggested that the novel's author, Vladimir Nabokov, based Lolita on Florence Horner, an 11-year-old girl kidnapped by a paedophile in 1948. Artistic Licence: Lolita 's plot device of a road trip around America is similar to the real-life case, although the fact that Humbert is Dolores' stepfather changes the dynamic considerably. Prev Miss Piggy The Character: Cinema's greatest puppet diva and frog fancier. The Inspiration: Muppet designer Bonnie Erickson originally named the character Miss Piggy Lee, in homage to jazz singer Peggy Lee. Artistic Licence: The comparisons go no further - Erickson and her fellow Muppeteers quietly dropped the Lee because nobody wanted to offend a star they admired.

Prev Next Harry Powell The Character: Crooked Reverend, played by a frightening Robert Mitchum in The Night Of The Hunter , who swaps 'Love' for 'Hate' in the hunt for hidden loot. The Inspiration: Harry Powers, a 'Lonely Hearts' serial killer who seduced and murdered widows (and sometimes their children) for their cash in 1930s America. Artistic Licence: The film offers a happier ending, as a widow's children do a runner with the money and lead Powell to his doom. Prev Next Ebenezer Scrooge The Character: Alistair Sim, Michael Caine and Jim Carrey are just three of the stars to tackle Dickens' Yuletide miser, who mends his ways after experiencing A Christmas Carol . The Inspiration: 18th century politician John Elwes who protected his inheritance by adopting the Scrooge-like characteristic of going to bed at dusk to save on candles. Artistic Licence: All that stuff about being visited by ghosts on Christmas Eve sets Scrooge apart. Prev Next Barry Egan The Character: Adam Sandler's greatest role sees him driven to distraction by his feelings for free-spirited Emily Watson in Punch-Drunk Love .

The Inspiration: Barry's scheme to claim millions of Frequent Flyer miles due to a loophole in a promotion for puddings mirrors the real-life example of David Phillips. Artistic Licence: When not flying to Hawaii to woo Watson, Barry is being extorted by a phone sex scam - a detail that we assume writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson didn't base on Phillips. Prev Next Hanna Schmitz The Character: Kate Winslet's role in The Reader as the Nazi war criminal engaged in an affair with a teenage student won the actress her only Oscar to date. The Inspiration: Ilse Koch, the "Beast of Buchenwald" was the wife of the commandment at the infamous concentration camp, and later tried for her crimes. Artistic Licence: The central plot about Hanna's affair with Michael Berg (David Kross) is entirely fictional. Prev Next Frank Costello The Character: Jack Nicholson's dildo-waving crime boss lies at the centre of the web of lies engulfing Damon and DiCaprio in The Departed . The Inspiration: Costello's Boston roots and the twist that he is an FBI informant are a dead giveaway that he's modelled on real-life mobster Whitey Bulger.

Artistic Licence: Costello is killed, but Bulger - on the run at the time the film was made - was eventually arrested and tried, and now lives in prison. Prev Next Mick Taylor The Character: Psychotic bushman and exterminator in the Australian Outback (played by John Jarratt in Wolf Creek ) who includes foreign backpackers in his definition of 'vermin.' The Inspiration: Backpacker murders are a very real threat in the Outback, with cases such as Bradley John Murdoch's murder of Peter Falconio. Artistic Licence: While Taylor is a composite of many killers, the film was deemed so close to the bone that its release was postponed in the Northern Territory so as not to prejudice the Murdoch trial. Prev Next Elliott and Beverly Mantle The Character: Identical twins played by Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers , whose close professional and personal ties get rather too entangled, bringing down both men. The Inspiration: Cronenberg's film was loosely based on real-life twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus who, like the Mantles, were gynaecologists and drug addicts. Artistic Licence: The Mantles die while under the grip of pills, with Beverly disembowelling Elliott and then himself dies of grief.

Real life was more prosaic: the Marcus brothers died of barbiturate withdrawal. Prev Alice The Character: Y'know, her what goes to Wonderland. The Inspiration: Alice was named after Alice Liddell, a family friend of Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) for whom the story was written. Artistic Licence: Decades of literary scholarship have been spent trying to figure out the precise nature of the relationship between Dodgson and Liddell, but we're fairly safe in assuming that no invisible cats or mad hatters played a part. Prev Next Dirk Diggler The Character: Mark Wahlberg plays the well-endowed Californian kid, nee Eddie Adams, who changes his name when he becomes a famous porn star in Boogie Nights . The Inspiration: John Holmes, who similarly made his name on the size of his member. Artistic Licence: Paul Thomas Anderson riffs freely on Holmes' arc (including his decline into cocaine abuse) but stops short of his AIDS-related death in 1988. Prev Next Officer Daniels The Character: Alleged policeman voiced by Pat Healy in Compliance , whose false demands to interrogate a fast-food restaurant employee dupe several people into executing a terrible ordeal.

The Inspiration: Officer Scott, said to be family man David R Stewart, who instigated a string of hoax calls including the one that inspired Compliance . Artistic Licence: Chillingly, this one is largely accurate. Even more disturbingly, the alleged culprit was never convicted. Prev Next Emily Rose The Character: A young woman, played by Jennifer Carpenter, whose death sparks the events of The Exorcism Of Emily Rose . The Inspiration: The film drew on the real-life case of German woman Anneliese Michel, who died in 1976 after being 'exorcised' with psychotropic drugs. Artistic Licence: In real-life, the verdict was manslaughter, with Anneliese's death provoked by her epilepsy. In the film, there's enough Omen -style shenanigans to suggest Emily really was possessed. Prev Next Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell The Character: Tom Cruise feels the need, the need for speed. Thankfully, there's plenty of it in Tony Scott's Top Gun . The Inspiration: The film was inspired by a magazine article about real-life fighter pilot cadets. Maverick himself was loosely based on instructor Randall 'Duke' Cunningham.

Artistic Licence: After Top Gun , Cunningham became a Congressman, only to resign in disgrace after pleading guilty to bribery charges. There's your sequel right there, Cruise. Prev Next Maya The Character: The CIA agent played by Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty , whose obsessive quest to track down Osama Bin Laden comes at the expense of… well, everything else in her life. The Inspiration: Screenwriter Mark Boal has been cagey about declaring specific influences, but commentators have charted uncanny parallels between Maya and an operative known as 'Jen,' whose role in the Bin Laden hunt was featured in non-fiction book No Easy Day . Artistic Licence: Given the film's need to focus on a single protagonist, it is unlikely that Jen would have been quite so omnipresent as Maya. Prev Next Norman Bates The Character: Motel owner who wouldn't hurt a fly. Unfortunately, he also has a homicidal split personality that has a penchant for dressing as Norman's dead mother and murdering the guests in the shower. The Inspiration: Serial killer Ed Gein, who killed several young women and exhumed the corpses of many more in the quest to make a skin suit resembling his dead mother.

Artistic Licence: If anything, Bates tones down Gein's insanity... paving the way for Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Buffalo Bill in The Silence Of The Lambs , both also based on Gein. Prev Zorro / Characters - TV Tropes Played by Guy Williams The Son of ranchero (or Baron) Don Alejandro de la Vega, Diego in this version is a former university student who returned from Spain to California to be with his father. When he learned upon arrival that his home Los Angleles that it has been under the tyrannical grip of Captain Monastario, Diego took up the alter ego of Zorro in a pledge to protect the innocent from those who would harm and oppress them. To help hide his alter ego, Diego pretends to be little more than a man of books and guitars and seemingly totally inept in combat. Big Good : Particularly later in the show, as even without knowing him to be Zorro, many of the people of Los Angeles tend to see him and his father as sharing this trope. Played by Gene Sheldon Don Diego's manservant confidant and co-conspirator, the only person at first to know Diego's secret.

Unable to speak, Bernardo uses gestures to communicate. Bernardo pretends to be deaf as well as mute, the better to overhear the plans of Zorro's enemies. He also plays the fool, adopting clownish behavior so as to seem harmless. Although Bernardo is sometimes portrayed as a little silly even when no pretense is required, he is also a capable and invaluable disciple for Zorro and Diego, even wearing the mask himself occasionally when the need arises. The character had appeared in the original stories as both deaf and mute; giving him hearing in this iteration helped to make Bernardo more integral to the series as Zorro's spy. It also helped to advance the plot by giving Diego a partner with whom he could confide feelings, plans, and intended actions, while also communicating these things to the viewers. Badass in Distress : Almost every time he has to be rescued, he proceeds to kick butt immediately afterward. Crazy-Prepared : At the start the Monterey story arc, Bernardo brought the Zorro costume for Diego to use in case there's a problem that needs solving, needless to say, he was right. Obfuscating Disability : He has everyone convinced that he's "deaf and dumb" and thus they ignore him.

Capitán Enrique Sanchez Monastario Played by Britt Lomond. A ruthless tyrant, the appointment of the megalomanical Monastario as commandante of Los Angeles resulted in Don Alejandro calling his son home from Spain, and set off Zorro's career. Ambition Is Evil : His tyranny is the result of his desire to become the richest man in California. Big Bad : For the first thirteen episodes , at least. Licenciado Pina Played by Than Wyenn A talented bureaucrat and lawyer, Pina acted as Capitan Monastario's right-hand man, while constantly worrying that the Capitan's plans were on the verge of going wholly awry. Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia Played by Henry Calvin One of Captain Monastario's underlings, the Sergeant is often seen leading other soldiers on various missions to oppress the peasants and/or hunt down Zorro. In spite of this, he is a friendly fellow (although not free of his vices) who respects Zorro and is hardly happy with the orders he is given. Acrofatic : Lampshaded by Mountain Man Joe Crane, who points out that Garcia "moves right fast" for a man of his build.

Badass Baritone : Well, he has the baritone part down magnificently, at least... Beware the Nice Ones : While not very intelligent, fond of food and drink and polite to a fault, count on that going right out the window if you actively try to hurt somebody. Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass : He might never be able to capture Zorro (unless you count Don Diego's rare moments of captivity ), If you're a far less benevolent outlaw, he could drag you into a jail cell with surprising ease. Let's Get Dangerous! : While usually an Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain played for comic relief, when the chips are down he proves to be a competent sabreur with Stout Strength and surprising agility . Reasonable Authority Figure : When Monastario was defeated, Sargeant Garcia became Acting-Commandante of Los Angeles, and even keeps the position throughout most of the show. Corporal Reyes Played by Don Diamond Added to the cast following the departure of Monastario, Corporal Reyes acts as Sergeant Garcia's second-in-command, loyal friend, and occasional morality check. He proves to have a sharp, sly wit, often getting the better of his portly superior.

Butt Monkey : Being a notch down the pecking order from fellow Butt Monkey Sergeant Garcia. Deadpan Snarker : And how. The Corporal always seems ready to deliver a good zinger at Garcia's expense. The Lancer : To Garcia's "hero" when the Sergeant is Acting Commandante. In fact, he and the other soldiers are literally "Lancers" by way of their duty title. Don Alejandro de la Vega Played by George J. Lewis Don Diego's father, greatly disappointed by his son's seeming foppishness and unknowing of the secret life he leads or so we are led to believe. Blue Oni Red Oni : Red to Diego's Blue Bully Hunter : Is furious at Monastario's oppression of the peasantry and Indians. Disappointed In You : His reaction to Diego's adopted personality as a popinjay untill he learns that this is just an act Diego puts up to hide the fact that he is Zorro Secret Secret-Keeper : During the Monterey arc, we find out that he has secretly been aware of his son being Zorro for quite some time now, but choose not to confront him with this knowledge.

He finally admits it when he stops Diego from unmasking himself in public in order to be with his loved one. From that moment on, he becomes a regular Secret Keeper Don Ignacio "Nacho" Torres Played by Jan Arvan Neighbor to the de la Vegas, Don Nacho's arrest by Monastario is one of the first signs Don Diego has of the Commandante's true evil. Wrongly Accused : Of high treason. :: Indexes ::

Question: Diego De Vega is a fictional character better known as whom
Answer: Zorro